Hey everyone! Happy New Year! Welcome to my stop! I hope you're enjoying yourself and discovering some AWESOME stuff! What will 2013 bring for you? Great things I hope. For me, I'm hoping to get all my of my WIPs out: Bella Tristezza (Book 3 of the Bella Vampires Series), Network Deserted (my NaNo project), Fur the Record (Book 2 of the Kat Purrowells Series), and Island Captive (YA piratical novel). Sounds like fun right? Wait, you haven't read any of the BVS or KPS? Well, grab a copy of either one!

Start the series that way you too can get excited over the coming releases! WOO HOO!

What will 2013 bring for you?

MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A COMMENT TO ENTER IN THE OVERALL CONTEST, which you can win:

Happy Year New everyone! For me 2013 will be all about releasing new books! Bella Tristezza, Network Deserted, Island Captive, and Fur the Record should all be released at some point during 2013. Hopefully I'll get a few more done as well.

Welcome to my stop on the Debris Dreams blog tour! David Colby has graciously done an interview with me too! Leave a comment for a chance to win a e-copy of the book!

About the Author:Heavily influenced by George Romero movies and bad, poorly dubbed anime, David Colby decided to start writing almost twelve years ago. It went poorly. But, despite these early setbacks, David continued to work and write and send out submissions until someone was mad enough to accept him. Currently living in Rohnert Park, California, while working on his English Bachelor, David Colby continues to be fascinated by George Romero movies and has realized that animes have subtitles.

Drusilla Xao has only seen a tree in movies and vid-games. She has never breathed air that wasn’t recycled, re-filtered, and re-used a hundred times over again. She has never set foot on the Earth.

And now she never will.

When a terrorist attack by a radical separatist group on Luna destroys the space elevator that had called so many – including her parents – to live permanently in space, Dru is cut off from any hope of ever reaching Earth and her beloved girlfriend, Sarah. The Chinese-American Alliance declares immediate war on the rebels and conscripts everyone they can get their hands on…including Dru.

Cast adrift, forced to become a soldier, trapped in a nightmare of vacuum and loneliness, Dru’s training will help her survive, but only Sarah will be able to bring her home.

The Review:

There was something wonderful about this book. It rang true with a possible future- one that I don't think I'd want to be a part of. I loved how David developed his characters.

Dru is an amazing girl with a whole crap-load of the universe dumping on her. But she handles it great! She doesn't break and end up in Heaven - which, by the way, is an awesome name for such a place. This girl rolls with the punches, and isn't afraid to give some back. Her relationship with Sarah is her anchor which seems to be the case with a lot of youths in the military.

This was a good read. I loved how things were explained and how the reality of being in space wasn't glamorized. It was simply a place to live with some very deadly possibilities. I could totally imagine someone being called an "orange peel."

I recommend this book for that love space adventures, soldiers with rebellious streaks, and a love for things in constant motion. It's a good read.

The Interview:

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?When I was a lad, I longed to be an astronaut. But I’m terrible at math and very fat. Alas…Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?As of yet, I have received no real fanmail. However, I have spoken to a few fans and one of them told me that they were very happy with how I approached gender and sexuality in my novel. I felt pretty good about that. For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?Never, ever stop writing. Never, ever stop reading. Never, ever stop living. Because it’s really hard (but not impossible) to write while dead.Do you have a favorite of your own books?Not really. I love every book when I start writing it…and hate it by the time I’m done editing it.How do you balance writing with your life?Well, for every hour I spend writing, I spend at least two playing video games. It’s a crude system, but it works. How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?I was fourteen or fifteen and I wrote a novel about a team of superheroes who shot zombies. It was weird and came from a time when I didn’t believe in quotation marks, formatting, or spellcheck. Where do your ideas come from? The tiny elves living in my head.

Do you have a writing quirk? “Even as.” I use that phrase way way WAY too often. Even as I try to eradicate it, I also find that I tend to start sentences with “So.” So, even as I found these quirks to be annoying, I tried to eradicate them.

Pantser or Planner? Well, my pants have jet turbines built into them, so I’d be a fool to not trust them.Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?No, no, I don’t know the names of enough actors to be able to cast any of my novels. Not unless every single member of the cast was played by Sean Connery. Hmm…that might just work…What do you use to motivate yourself to keep writing through the tough spots?I usually take a nice long walk and try and clear my brain of any negative thoughts. Then I run right back into the meat grinder until words come out. Do you create a playlist for your works? No. I don’t really know enough music to be able to do it very well.

What is your current WIP about? (Possible title, characters, setting, etc.)Worldshard. It takes place three thousand years after an apocalyptic magical conflict destroyed not just the world, but rather the whole concept of the world, leaving behind a swirling mass of chaos. In this new existence, humans survive because imagination reshapes the chaos around them. Over the centuries, the mighty Nations arose: floating islands of stability ordered around a strong sense of national identity and protected by the Champions. Champions are mechanical constructs of clay and brass (meaning they can’t be mutated by the wild chaos outside the bounds of a Nation) but are imbued with the soul of ancient heroes, giving them creativity and humanity. They battle the Champions of other nations and the shapeshifting fair folk who dwell in the chaos beyond. The main character is Vengeful Crystalline Hawk 45C, a newly created Champion. She was built by Korvosa, a large, imperialistic Nation that is at war with the democratic, freedom-loving Surya. But there is one problem…45C’s soul, due to a huge oversight, isn’t Korvosan. It’s Suryan. Needless to say, shit gets real.Share one sentence from your book, no explanations, just one sentence. “You’re going to feel an intense need to fart,” Stru said. “You’d better do it, or else you’ll rupture your intestines.”

Favorite genre to read? Speculative FictionWhat was your favorite book as a child? Alanna: The First Adventure

Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color? I’ve never actually remembered a dream in my life. Am I actually a robot? You decide.

What's your favorite food? Steak. Mmm…steak.What type of food could you never live without? Bread. It goes with everything!

If you meet one person, living or dead, who would it be and why?Thomas Jefferson. I want to quiz him about how he could write one of the most astoundingly effective calls to liberty in the world – the Declaration of Independence – and still own slaves. Then I’d send him back in time with a history textbook, a lesson on how to make vaccinations for the major illnesses and ask him to try and not screw up and try to get rid of slavery without a freaking war.If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)? A boat!

Favorite show growing up?Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys. This show exists. It is real. It is amazing, too. Even more so now that I recognize all the references.If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?Super-intelligence. Then I could invent solutions to the world’s problems, both social and economic. If I could have two, I’d take super-intelligence and super-ethics. I’d hate to become evil. What would your superhero name be? Sir Thinks-A-Lot.

What do you think the future will hold?Everyone who has ever made any major predictions about the future has been wrong. I’m going to save my pride. Also, I’m lazy.

I should've posted this last night, but I've been under the weather. I wrote this last year for a guest post I did. Enjoy!

Gather round all you children, you bats and you pups, come learn how monsters celebrate Christmas Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the denNot a creature was stirring, not even a lycan.The spiders and wolfsbane were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St Vladimir soon would be there.

The monsters were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of moonlight danced in their heads.And Drac in his coffin, and I in my cap,Had just settled our fangs for a long winter's nap.

When out in the belfry there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the crypt to see what was the matter.Away up to the graveyard I flew like a flash,Tore open the mausoleum and ran into the bash.

The moon shining down on the new-fallen snowGave the luster of daytime to objects below.When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,But a count, and eight of his monster friends that he holds dear.

With following darkness, he was quite something to fear,I knew in a moment it must be St Vladimir.More rapid than vultures his followers they came,And he hissed, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now werewolves! now, witches! now, goblins and ghouls!Come, vampires! Come, trolls! come zombies and demons! My fools!To the top of the tomb! to the top of the vault!Now mash away! Mash away! Mash away never to halt!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,When they danced away without fear or reason to why.So whirled they did into the night, and witches crackling over their brew,With Christmas delight, St Vladimir did too.

Hey Everyone, I've got author Shar Dimick doing an interview with me today. Check it out and make sure to leave comment to enter to win a signed paperback from her!

The InterviewDid you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?I can’t remember not wanting to be a writer or rather not being a writer. I started making up stories and poems when I was in grade school and continued into high school. In college I wrote a column for the university newspaper and majored in English. I write technical, training and marketing materials during the day and romance novels in my spare time.

Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?I do get emails and facebook posts from my readers. Every time I get a note it makes me smile and encourages me to keep writing. They are usually thanking me for writing Take A Deep Breath and letting me know they want to read my next book. A lot of readers have experience panic attacks in their lives and can relate to the main characters.

For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?The best advice I have for aspiring writers is to keep writing. Try to find five or ten minutes a day to write and don’t give up.

Do you have a favorite of your own books?Well…Take A Deep Breath is the first book I’ve published and holds a special place in my heart as it is my “you can do it book!” I am in the middle of revisions on my second book called, “Take Your Time.” I really like this story too - this is my “it’s not a fluke- you can write a novel” book. I’m guessing the book I’m working on at the time will be my favorite until I move on the next one.How do you balance writing with your life? Balance writing with my life is the hardest part. I work 40 plus hours as a technical writer and am the mother of two grade school daughters. I have to carve out time to write either early, early morning or late at night. I recently participated in NaNoWriMo and pounded out the rough draft of Take Your Time from 10:00 PM until midnight every night in November. I can’t keep that pace up throughout the year as I start to look like a walking zombie and my family won’t talk to me.

How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about? I was 41 when I wrote my first book. It is about a woman who retreats to her grandmother’s cottage on a lake for the summer to relax and deal with the panic attacks she’s been experiencing. She has an eight year old daughter and has recently divorced her verbally abusive husband. While on her long vacation she reconnects with the boy she had a major crush on as a teenager.

Where do your ideas come from? That’s a hard one for me to answer. Little bits come from my life and from that of those around me. Most of the time though, an idea will just form as I’m typing and I go with it.

Do you have a writing quirk? I don’t think I really have any writing quirks, except I like it to be quiet when I’m writing. If the kids are fighting or I’m getting interrupted every five minutes, I get frustrated.Pantser or Planner? I’m more of a pantser especially when it comes to writing. Other times though like if I’m making a major purchase I’ll research and plan.Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far? Actually, I haven’t really done this yet. What do you use to motivate yourself to keep writing through the tough spots? When I’m having a tough spot, I’ll look back over a good review of my last book or read an email from a positive email from one of my readers (I save them just for that purpose!) Do you create a playlist for your works? No. I can’t write with music playing. It distracts me too much.

What is your current WIP about? (Possible title, characters, setting, etc.)My current WIP is called “Take Your Time.” The main characters are Maddy and Mason and it is set at Lake of the Pines again. Maddy is in town for her sister Liv’s wedding (the main character from Take A Deep Breath). She’s just graduated from college with a degree in photography. She spent most of her college life taking photos and studying. In experienced on the dating scene, she thinks she’ll be single forever. Her college roommate convinces Maddy to go on a blind date with her older brother Mason.

Share one sentence from your book, no explanations, just one sentence.His dark eyes caught and held hers a moment as he slowly brought a smile to his lips, raised his hand and waved.Coke vs Pepsi?Diet Coke

Chocolate vs Vanilla? Vanilla

Cake vs Ice Cream? Ice Cream

Night owl or Early bird? Night OwlFavorite genre to read? RomanceWhat was your favorite book as a child? The B BookDo you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color? Dream in color.What's your favorite food? Lasagna

What type of food could you never live without? Ice Cream

If you meet one person, living or dead, who would it be and why? My Grandma Avina died when I was in my twenties. I miss her a lot.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)? My kindle (loaded with books), my iPhone (loaded with music and photos of my kids), a blanket and bug spray.Favorite show growing up? Growing PainsIf you could have one super power, what would it be and why? Telepathy - I would love to know what people are thinking.What would your superhero name be? Hmmm. Not good at these - Super Shar. I know lame.What do you think the future will hold? I have no idea, but I hope it involves spending time with my family and friends, becoming a successful romance author and time to escape into a good book.

About the Author:Shar Dimick started writing stories and poems as a grade-schooler. The passion for writing has followed her throughout her life. Whether writing a short story, a blog entry, a newspaper article, a technical software manual or a chapter in her next novel, not a day goes by where she isn't writing something. Cousin to her love for writing, Shar's also an avid reader of romance novels from contemporary to historical. Drawn to the genre from an early age, it seemed natural that her first novel, Take a Deep Breath, be a romance.

Shar holds a Master of Arts in English from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She is the mother of two daughters and a step son. Shar lives in Wauseon, Ohio

Happy Mid-Winter or Winter Solstice! Which is: It is the time at which the Sun is appearing at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon. Pretty cool. It is also Yule for all you witchy people out there! Either way, we're all happy to be here now that the 21st has loomed over and nothing happened. Besides mild levels of panic. LOL.

So I'm doing another surprise giveaway. The more entries the better the surprise. Perhaps I'll include a bracelet this time or something. Who knows? :0)

But wait, there's more! I have a special giveaway for the US people. I've had some books donated for this hop, so US people MAKE SURE YOU ENTER!

Three children go missing and police organise a massive search of the town of Dudleigh and surrounding areas. A call from a security officer at Russington Hospital immediately has several Detectives heading for the Accident & Emergency Department. All three missing children have somehow been returned to the Hospital. No-one sees or hears anything; it's as though the children appeared out of the sky. The Doctor is puzzled - the children are in excellent health but are refusing to talk to anyone, not even their own parents. Local detectives are baffled. Where have they been? What have they been doing? Why won't they talk? All questions the police want answered. And urgently. When another young girl goes missing her 10 year old brother Harry and his three friends, Stan and identical twins Polly and Lily, are determined to find her and solve the mystery once and for all. Will they solve the mystery before the Police? Can they find out the 'Where's and the What's' and also the 'Why's and the How's?'

The Review:

I've encountered a problem. John is such an awesome guy, and he went through all of the trouble to mail his book from England! But I am not a huge fan of it- which disappointed me.

I really wanted to like it. Here are my problems with it. The chapter headings are confusing because it is just a magnifying glass, no number- just the image. The characters fall into moments where they don't speak like kids and the context isn't necessarily age appropriate to what the cover suggests.

That being said, I loved the idea of story. I'm a big fan of ice cream. I also wanted to see the kids actually work on the case for longer than like five minutes, which is what it felt like. They didn't really follow any leads or get the feel for being a real PI, just sort of jumped in with both feet and there you have it.

This book wasn't for me, but it might be for someone else. So give it a shot.

About the Author:

John Alexander Priest - born in 1958 in a town called Netherton, near Dudley, West Midlands. One of seven children (three girls, four boys).Started writing in 1985 and had several articles published in National Magazines.First children's book published by Ginn & Co, Ltd., titled 'Naughty Nigel Runs Away'. This was swiftly followed by 'Tom's Birthday Treat', 'Answer The Phone Fiona!' and a CD called 'Tales for Tiny Tots'.Recently two new children's books were written and added to his Kindle collection.They are called 'Peter Challenge - Time Surfer', a fantasy adventure for children aged 7-10yrs and 'Jay-Pea-Eyes' aka Junior Private Investigators, for ages 8-10yrs and is about a group of children who solve mysteries faster than the grown-ups can!A writer who enjoys school visits to show how books are made. Always available for these visits, just email johnapriest@gmail.co.ukCurrently an Assessor/Tutor/Trainer in education.Website www.johnpriest.co.ukMember of the Society of Authors, UK.Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnAPriest

The Midwest lies in complete ruins after a catastrophic disaster kills tens of thousands and leaves hundreds of thousands injured. Nicholas Keller emerges out of the devastation as a shining light of hope for all. But his newfound fame comes with a price that his aunt will not let him pay. They flee into the shadows in order to protect his secret. As Nicholas begins his sophomore year at his fifth school in five years, strange and unexpected things begin to happen. He soon tumbles into a web of doomed love, extraordinary talents and a secret past, which threatens the lives of everyone he cares about. It's up to Nicholas to confront the truth, even if it means his own death.

Stay tuned for the release of book 2 in the series coming October 10, 2013!

The Review:

I liked the book. The story is an interesting concept, but I had a really hard time getting into the characters because what teen talks like that? The story idea was awesome, and I loved the general plot. But every time Nick opened his mouth, my brain was like "oh, that is not the voice of a teen!" which proved very distracting for the read. I think it would be an easy fix, maybe Tim just didn't get to spend enough time around teens when he wrote it, or intentionally wrote it like that- although I can't honestly see the reason behind it.

If the fact that the voice doesn't match the character doesn't bug you, then you'll enjoy it. The character arc is well developed, there's a sense of mystery hanging on the edge through out.

Check it out and see what you think.

About the Author:

Tim Mettey learned to value and lead a lifestyle of service from an early age. As the son of prominent Cincinnati, Ohio pastor Reverend Wendell E. Mettey, he had frequent opportunities to travel to Nicaragua, immersing himself in the culture and the environment to aid the less fortunate. As part of those early trips, Tim offloaded and delivered humanitarian and disaster relief as well as rebuilt and upgraded schools and hospitals. In many ways, this work inspired the foundation of his writing style and the content of his stories.Tim attended the University of Cincinnati and spent his early 20s developing his marketing and promotional business skills through a number of entrepreneurial businesses. Tim then began working at Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian and disaster relief organization. He advanced through various roles within the organization to his current position of CEO and Disaster Relief Coordinator. His experiences and expertise in responding to disasters around the world set the background for Tim's first book.Tim is happily married to his wife, Chanin, and is the father of four beautiful daughters: Olivia, Cora, Noel and Ashlyn.

In the lax atmosphere of middle-class post-war Italy, sex and drugs are easy to come by. Roberto tries to find his own balance, but a crush he had for Alessandra in elementary school is reignited and the course of his life is changed forever.

It's the 1970’s, a time of political upheaval driven by disillusioned young people. Roberto is caught up in the times. He makes a new start, but his past catches up with him. Finding himself accused of a crime, he must defend himself even when he isn’t sure he committed it.

A vivid snapshot of European post-war society, this novel is viewed through the eyes of a young adult coming of age.

The Review:

I liked this book. It is set in a rougher time and place, where parents did the tough things. I love how we get to see Roberto develop. I kind of wanted to see those hidden years between things, like the end and what happens before it (no spoilers here).

Roberto is part monster and human, but all around self-conflicted. Which makes reading his story interesting to say the least. Whether you'd agree with his choice or not, you are forced by some unseen hand to read of and explore what new avenue the poor kid will choose to walk down.

Being a parent, but also remembering my youth, I can relate with both sides of the line. The "well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," and the "what the hell were you thinking?"

I recommend this book for that like to read things that may be fiction but are a little realer.

About the Author:(taken from his site)

I was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. I acquired the love for the English language from my father, a former U.S. soldier and WWII veteran, a voracious reader and a prolific writer. With a PhD in chemical engineering and a long family history that I need to live up to, I work as a patent attorney and head the patent law firm that was established by my great-grandfather in Milan, Italy, in 1869. I live in Omer, Israel, with my full-time partner, Esther, our four children, Michal, Lilach, Tamar and Yonatan, and the dog Elvis. Writing has always been my passion and for almost four years I wrote a weekly "Patents" column in Globes (Israel’s financial newspaper), which also yielded my only (if I can help it) non-fiction book, THE WORLD OF PATENTS, (a not-so-boring tale of what patents are about, in Hebrew), which was published in 2002 by Globes Press. I love writing short stories but I have too many novels waiting to be written (and possibly not enough years ahead of me to write them all), so now I mostly write full-length fiction. My other passion is working with other authors on stories I love and that's how I wound up serving on the editorial board of The Harrow Press as Anthology Editor. You can read about my books here. I love them all, but I never had greater fun than when working on “HAVE BOOK WILL TRAVEL”, a YA fantasy that I wrote together with my son, Yonatan.Connect with the Author: (taken from his site)